1 entry, oldest to newest.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said on 3 October 2026, addressing a press conference ahead of Air Force Day, that inordinate delays in inducting the Tejas light combat aircraft are hurting the Indian Air Force given the depleting strength of its fighter squadrons at a time when air power is becoming increasingly crucial. He said the force needs to induct at least 36 to 40 fighter jets every year for the next few years, and that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's delays in supplying the Tejas Mk1A jets, contracted in a Rs 62,370 crore deal signed in September 2025 for 97 aircraft, is going to hurt the force. Singh said he hopes the situation will improve with the induction of the Tejas Mk1A, the Tejas Mk2, aircraft under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme, and Rafale jets to be procured under the multi role fighter aircraft (MRFA) programme, which he hopes to finalise within the current financial year.